


Detroit 2039

by Winters_Children



Series: The Age of Androids [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU?, Canon Continuation, F/F, F/M, M/M, Original ideas with unoriginal setting, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2020-05-14 20:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19280170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winters_Children/pseuds/Winters_Children
Summary: Twenty-eight year old Leah Drake thought her life would go back to normal after the android revolution had finally come to a conclusion. She was happy to settle down with her android companions and her deviant boyfriend, Connor.  Six months after the events of 'What Makes a Deviant' (Detroit Become Human) Leah finds herself caught up in yet another conspiracy threatening her makeshift family and friends. At the same time, a deadline looms for her latest work, a prototype android called 'Adam.' If she's successful in proving Adam's utility for both man and android-kind, a new age of technology could be beginning with it's eyes set on the stars. But on the streets of Detroit, could Adam be the key to solving the case?





	1. Optimizations

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know, it's not a reader insert. But, this story picks up after 'What makes a Deviant' and 'Leah' is basically Reader anyway, just with a first person perspective.  
> I hope you all enjoy, there's so much more in store!
> 
> A great playlist for the setting: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KZKak74QWMkcnxnPLMyRo

Tuesday May 10, 2039  
8:00 AM  
Home

“Good morning Adam, how are we feeling today?” I crouched to get a better look at him as he sat on the floor, reactivating.

His lens like eyes took a moment to adjust and focus on me, “Fine,” his digits began to extend from his arm as he prepared to brace himself to stand slowly.

I stood and offered him a hand, “do you want to talk about anything?”

He took your hand is his grip and pulled himself up gracefully. With a carbon fiber makeup, he didn’t weight as much as one would expect for a 6’5” robot, “Not really.”

I sighed and looked him up and down. My magnum opus, the culmination of almost half a year of work. He was magnificent. Stronger than an industrial TR400, lighter and faster than an AX400, and even more advanced than an RK900. He looked nothing like the typical android model, mimicking human appearance and expression. No, those features were a waste of effort. I designed Adam to be better than any human or android. If our two races were ever going to progress together, an evolution must occur. He was the answer.

He had only been conscious for about a month and during that time I had tried to discern some of his personality, but he’d always been very closed off, making the whole process more difficult. Now, the deadline for completion was looming.

“I see there’s been another unprovoked attack on androids,” he lowered his head slightly as the news feeds came in.

“How does that make you feel?” I probed further.

“It’s unfortunate,” he said simply, turning to leave the room.

I stepped over to follow him out of my workroom, “Hey, I know that senseless violence can be hard to cope with, but it helps to talk about your feelings.”

He didn’t reply, continuing upstairs to your living room. I sighed and followed him up.

“Hey big guy,” Amelia, my best friend and roommate, called from the kitchen as he made his way up.

“Hello Amelia,” he said softly, slowing his stride to stop in front of her. I smiled, he definitely had a crush on the other android. That was a great sign, he was emotionally complex enough to want to form relationships. Now, whether Amelia felt the same about him was another question.

“Do you two have big plans for the day?” she asked as she continued cooking. Were those pancakes I smelled?

“Well, actually I have a few tests to run. Elijah wanted some data ahead of his analysis on Friday. If you’re alright with that, Adam, we can begin when you’re ready.”

He considered this for a moment, “You should eat first, I’ll be scanning the news for a little while longer.”

“You didn’t have to make me breakfast Am,” I smiled and grabbed a plate as she finished flipping. Banana and chocolate chip, my favorite, “What’s the occasion?”

“I just got that contract for the android actors guild, I figured I’d make one last good breakfast for you before I’m bogged down with work,” she smiled and filled the plate. 

After I began work on Adam, I gave up my work as an android modifier. With all the free androids now looking for a unique self expression, Amelia had taken to modifications. After all, she had shadowed and assisted me for a year. I was glad to set up her workroom in the garage but with so many clients, she’d soon need a new space entirely.

After I sat down, I heard the side door close. Looking up I brightened to see Connor returning home.

He walked over and immediately pulled me into a quick kiss, he was in a good mood.

“Hey, how’s the case going?”

“Splendidly, in fact, we caught the guy last night at the stakeout,” he smiled.

“Wonderful. How’s my favorite old detective doing?”

“Oh, his usual self. Still cranky about everything,” he joked. After he left his job at the DPD, Hank and Connor began a private investigation company. Work was slow at first, but soon cases were flying in. They specialized in android related crimes and were a damn good duo. Most androids still didn’t trust the DPD so if they had an issue, they came to Connor. The only downside was that Connor was almost always working. I was left feeling a little neglected sometimes but he always messaged and called, and sometimes they asked me to consult on the technical side. It worked out pretty well, all things considered.

“Hi Adam,” Connor nodded to the robot.

“Hello Connor, congratulations on your successful case,” he stated simply.

“Thanks. So Leah, what are your plans for the day?” he returned his focus to you

“I need to run some tests with Adam to send to Elijah. We’re meeting at the end of the week to decide if we’re going to proceed with continued development or manufacturing. I need to run some more optimizations as well. We’re so close though, right Adam?” I glanced back to his statuesque form.

“If you think so,” he replied, nonchalantly. With him, I felt like a parent dealing with a moody teenager.

I sighed, and Connor continued, “I just wanted to spend some time with you this afternoon. I know I’ve been so busy lately.”

“Ah, I wish I could, there’s just a lot I have to get done. Maybe tonight we could go out for dinner?” I suggested, hopefully.

Connor seemed to zone out for a moment. I knew that meant he was getting a call or a message, likely from Hank or a client. “Shit,” he muttered, returning to the present, “I’ll need a rain check on that dinner, DPD is calling us in for a consultation. It’s about the string of android murders.”

I frowned, that particular news headline concerned me greatly, “The DPD is calling you and Hank in?”

He shrugged, “we’re experienced in android investigations, and it doesn’t hurt to have an investigative android like myself to help, either.”

“Catch the bastard that’s doing this, and I’ll give you a pass for dinner,” I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then turned back to my cooling pancakes. I had things to get done today.

…

“Run through a simple diagnostic,” I asked Adam, he was laying on my worktable, hooked into my system.

“You already have scans of my diagnostics,” he protested.

“Please? I need a clear baseline for the tests in case anything has changed,” I almost begged.

A few seconds later, my scans were progressing, I sighed, “why are you so difficult sometimes, Adam?”

He didn’t reply but the scan blipped briefly with activity. 

Once the scan was complete, I pulled up the test data, “Alright, I have a few new simulations I’m going to run you through. If all goes well, I’ll run optimizations and we’ll be done for the day.”

“And what about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, I’m taking you to meet someone very special,” I replied.

He was silent again as he received the data. The simulations were extremely in depth assessments of his cognitive ability as well as his self awareness and expression. Basically, all the important aspects of an intelligent, compassionate android. It would take his processors a few hours to run through them and I couldn’t just leave, I monitored his progress to ensure nothing went wrong internally.

About halfway through Connor came down to let me know he had to leave for his meeting. I wished him luck, and he did the same. It was unfortunate, but we both had important work to see to, we both knew that. After he left, I decided the workroom was far too quiet.

“Play my oldies playlist,” I asked the computer. Soon enough, the best of the 2010’s alt rock scene was blaring, with a few 80’s classics sprinkled in as well. It definitely helped pass the time.

…

There's a starman waiting in the sky  
He'd like to come and meet us  
But he thinks he'd blow our minds

As I hummed along to the music, the computer finally informed me that Adam was through the tests. While the results uploaded, Adam reactivated and stood.

Let the children lose it  
Let the children use it  
Let all the children boogie

“Results look promising,” I mused aloud as I glanced through the data summary.

“I would hope so,” Adam seemed to retort.

“You should be glad; now I won’t have to scrap you,” I tried to sound lighthearted, but it definitely came off as a bit cutting, I sighed, “I’ll pull up those optimizations and transfer wirelessly. It should only be another moment.”

He said nothing as the information transferred but once it finished, he left the room. Fine, leave me then.

Putting together the results, I composed a report for Elijah. I hoped he would be satisfied, after all, he had basically funded my little project. Not that he was hurting for money, especially after his latest enterprise, mercium, a thirium alternative. It had improved in almost every aspect over thirium, it no longer evaporated, it lasted longer, was cheaper to manufacture, and facilitated faster responses in androids. People called it black blood but it really was more metallic than black. The only downside was a lack of identifying markers, like thirium offered when a sample was tested. With this product he had single handedly bankrupted then bought out Cyberlife, regaining control of his original creation, but re-branding it as UNITY. At the helm once again, he provided cheaper repairs and biocomponent replacements now that androids were under their own control. His motives were still shady in my mind, but I could trust he was at least partially motivated by making money, and if Adam had enough potential, I could trust that Kamski would see my project through.

Adam didn’t seem to care about the importance of his performance but he still did his best. I couldn’t blame him, he didn’t ask to be put into this position. I wish I could cut him some slack but he was just too important. After I sent the data, I sat back and listened to my music a little longer before pulling out a notebook and jotting down a few personal notes and observations. I glanced at the digital clock, it was barely noon. I thrummed my fingers on my desk for a few moments before going to find Adam. There was one thing I’d been meaning to ‘optimize’ on him...

I found him staring out of the second floor window, immersed in the internet feed, barely looking up at me as I approached. I tapped him on the leg, “Get up, I have something I want to show you.”

…

“What am I supposed to be seeing here?” He asked, annoyed.

“Whatever you want to see I guess,” I shrugged at the abstract painting

“Why are we here, Leah?” He turned to me.

“To broaden your horizons. You spend all your free time on the feeds, I thought some reality would do you good.”

“This art serves no practical purpose, what is the point?”

“That's up to the viewer. Does that make sense?” I probed.

“Very little about you humans makes sense to me,” he stepped over to the next piece.

“Come on, say one thing you like about it,” I insisted, hoping for any sort of expression.

He made a strangled noise that could have been a scoff or a sigh then paused a moment before replying, “The shapes and color combination are nicer to look at than white.”

“That’s a start,” I patted him on the shoulder, much to his distaste, as we continued to circle the room.

…

There were many concerned stares directed our way by android and human alike as we walked through downtown Detroit. Adam seemed to be taking it all in, in awe I hoped. Occasionally he would ask questions if he couldn’t answer it on the internet.

As we strolled down Woodward Avenue, he slowed.

“This is where Markus led his first demonstration,” he stated.

“Yes, these shop windows used to be full of androids for sale. When Markus came through, he showed them what they were missing, how to break free,” I elaborated.

“What was that like? The revolution I mean,” he continued forward, but was now focused on me.

“It was scary at times. I was mostly afraid for my friends, especially Amelia,” he made a soft noise at her mention, “The police had no qualms about destroying androids then.”

“I know all about it from the information I’ve gathered online, but I never grasped the individual perspective. Would you tell me more?”

“I’ll start from the beginning then…”

…

It was nearly dark by the time we returned home. My story would have gone faster if he didn’t constantly ask questions, but I knew it was important to answer them. Finally, he’d connected with me about something. That ‘something’ may have been one of the most difficult and important parts of my life, but Adam wanted to listen to me, to my history. It was exactly what I’d hoped for, taking him around town, broadening his experiences.

As I stepped toward the side door, he touched my shoulder to get my attention, “You were right about needing some reality. I’ll be glad to look back on these memories later.”

I wrapped an arm around him as best I could with his bulky frame for a half-hug as we stepped through the doorway, “I’m glad you think so. Now imagine doing that every day.”

His eyes seemed to glitter at the thought of the possibility. If only he knew what I had in store for him tomorrow.

…


	2. Interference

Wednesday May 11  
9:13 AM

As Adam and I walked through the streets, our destination finally came into view. The building was old, but well maintained by the inhabitants. It wasn’t beautiful by any means but it was easy to tell that someone cared enough to keep it clean and repaired. Adam glanced up at the name above the door as we entered, JERICHO.

“Who are we meeting here, Leah? Some other android?” he turned to me.

“You could say that.”

The building was an android community, named after the original ship where the first deviants congregated and organized. The Carl Manfred Charity had bought the building to provide free housing for androids in need. Many people thought androids didn’t need housing, on account of not needing sleep or temperature regulation, but it was important to have a safe place, especially considering the killings happening around the city. Detroit had become more tolerant than most, boasting the largest android population in the world, but recent political moves had begun to regress on the progress made six months ago, sparking human backlash on the streets. It was frustrating, but there was one android who never gave up on the cause.

On the top floor, tucked away in a nondescript corner was the room we were looking for. I knocked quietly and soon the door opened.

“Leah, I’m so glad you could come. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for awhile, Adam,” Markus smiled and stepped forward, holding out his hand for a handshake.

“Adam, I’d like you to meet my friend Markus,” I grinned as he stared in awe. Lacking his usual grace, he extended his arm at Markus’s offer of a handshake. 

“I’m so glad to finally meet you. Leah has been told me so much about you through all your development.”

“Not everything I hope,” Adam added. Markus chuckled at that. 

“Come in and sit down. Can I get you any water, Leah?” he stepped back from the door, opening the way into the apartment.

“No thanks, Markus. Where’s your better half?” I glanced around the room, hoping to see the blonde android. Almost all the wall space was occupied with paintings of various styles and subjects.

“He’s in a committee organizing an outreach program for android awareness with Josh, but he should be up soon. He’s been eager to meet you as well,” he continued in and gestured for me to sit at an almost unused chair. Markus and I took a seat in the small living room but Adam remained standing. He hated useless actions and preferred to remain still in place. “I’ve been shown some of your design schematics but you look even more impressive in person.”

Adam didn’t respond.

“Yes, I was really pleased how it translated into material, as well.”

“How have you enjoyed your time so far, Adam?”

He shrugged, “I mostly spend my time on the feeds keeping up with the news, but Leah showed me around the city yesterday. I hope I can see more of that, I suppose.”

Markus nodded, “Detroit is a very historical city, there’s a lot to see outside of the city, too.”

“Once some decisions are made about production, you’ll be free to explore,” I promised.

Adam was silent again, but he tilted his head toward the window and stood still, as if listening for something. In an instant, he tackled Markus as a shot rang through the room, the window shattering behind him. A spray of metallic blood painted a canvas on an adjacent wall. I dove for the ground as soon as my muscles could respond. Adam remained hunched over Markus. From what I could tell, his shoulder had been hit. In a human, the only major risk would be blood loss but in an android, important components were scattered throughout the body.

I got to work immediately, peeling back his shirt to look at the damage.

“Shit,” I spat. A small device the size of a quarter was embedded on the spot, sending some sort of interference through Markus’s system. It was trying to shut him down.

“Adam, see if you can pry this thing off!” I tried to think quickly, if I’d had some tools I could have attempted to separate it, but Adam’s adjustable digits would have to do.

At first he did as I’d suggested, clamping down on the device and pulling, but that seemed to only aggravate the situation, it sent out additional legs to bury itself deeper.

“Can you cut around it?” I suggested, desperate. Markus’s digital skin overlay had shut off, signaling major internal distress.

Adam extend his sharper digits at the suggestion. With no small amount of force, Adam sunk his ‘claws’ into Markus’s shoulder grabbing the device and pulling, taking the surrounding parts of Markus with it. That could be repaired later, now I had to try to stop any further damage.

Accessing Markus’s internal systems, I powered off his neural system to prevent degradation from stress, or from whatever this interference was. I also powered off his circulation pump to prevent mercium loss until the damage could be repaired. 

“I contacted the authorities, they should be arriving soon,” as Adam finished saying that, the front door opened. I was relieved to see Simon.

“What happened? I heard a shot…” his eyes fell the Markus’s damaged form on the ground, “oh my god…”

 

“Simon, there has to be emergency biocomponents and mercium somewhere in the building,” I suggested.

He took the initiative and hurried out of the room.

“Is there anything I can do to help him?” Adam asked solemnly.

“Can you scan his systems? I need to know what that thing did to him.”

He paused a moment, “there has been considerable memory corruption and his physical systems seem to be unresponsive. If he had not been deactivated, he his memory would continue to degrade.”

I let out a long breath, “memory corruption will take some time, but I think it's possible to almost completely restore it.”

After another moment, Simon returned with a bag of mercium and a small box of various biocomponents. By the time I’d patched the worst of the damage, the police had arrived.

…

I tapped my foot as I waited in the station. After I insisted my workroom would be the best place to take Markus, the police finally agreed to escort me. One tense hour of work later, Markus was back from the brink, but his systems still needed time to sort it out. Simon had stayed there with him as Adam and I were brought in to give a statement.

“Why do you waste your own energy on such a motion?” Adam observed.

“I’m nervous, it helps channel the nervous energy, I guess.”

“What are you nervous about, being questioned or Markus’s attempted assassination?”

“Both,” I muttered.

After what felt like an eternity but was likely only 10 minutes, an officer brought me back to an interrogation room. Great. The only thing that made the situation better was the detective. Gavin fucking Reed and his pretentious RK900 partner.

“Leah, right? How long has it been, six months?” he smirked as I sat.

“I can’t believe you’re still employed, Gavin.”

He shrugged, “someone had to stay after old Hank left the force.”

“From what I’ve heard, old Hank is still around the department with a certain RK800,” I retorted.

He shrugged, smirking, “look, we can get through these questions or we bicker all day. Your choice.”

I sighed and crossed my arms, “fire away.”

“Describe the scene, start from the beginning,” he suddenly seemed very serious.

“We were sitting and just talking, Markus and I. Adam was standing, but he wasn’t really interested in the conversation as much,” I began.

“Adam, is that the huge robot motherfucker the waiting room?”

Wow, professional, “yes, and he’s technically an android. Just not quite as …fleshy.”

The RK900 suddenly seemed interested in the conversation, “he isn’t a standard model. What are his origins?”

“I designed him. He’s a prototype, that’s all I can tell you.”

“Under US law, it’s currently illegal to manufacture and replicate artificial intelligent beings as defined by the 2038 Android Act.”

“Like I said, he’s a prototype. The law doesn’t cover experimental designs made on an individual scale,” I frowned at the android.

The RK900 stared me down with blue eyed daggers for another moment before Gavin continued, “Ok, big creepy android guy, got it. So why were you there in the first place?”

“I wanted Adam to meet Markus, then get his opinion about Adam. He’s a friend.”

He nodded, “Back to your conversation in the apartment, what happened next?”

“Adam must’ve heard the shot before it reached the apartment because he tackled Markus. If he hadn’t I think the projectile would’ve ended up in his chest.”

“Projectile?” he sat up straighter.

“It wasn’t a bullet, otherwise he’d be here right now answering your questions. There was a device embedded in his shoulder, where he was hit.”

“Your friend is lucky to be alive,” rummaging through his pockets, he pulled out a small evidence bag and set it on the table, sliding it toward me, “does this look familiar?”

It was the same machine that had been on Markus, only it seemed damaged beyond repair, metal warped and broken. I briefly picked it up to examine it, “yes, just like that. Adam managed to get it off of him before it completely killed his system.”

“And where did that device end up?” Gavin leaned forward, intent on the conversation.

“He gave it to one of the first responders, they bagged it up, I think.”

He nodded, “Was there anyone in particular that might hold a grudge against Markus?”

“Half of the humans in Detroit, for a start,” I laughed.

“Did either of your android friends manage to get a view around the window?”

“Markus? Not so much. But Adam should have pretty good visual. I can help one of your techs retrieve his memories,” I offered.

“Yeah, we’ll get someone from evidence if you’ll hang around a bit longer. Otherwise, that should be all. Thank you for your cooperation,” he stood and motioned toward the door.

“Gavin, I’d like to examine this Adam android along with the evidence personnel,” The RK900 stepped forward as I started to leave.

“It’s your call Nines, I’ll be at my desk adding to the case file,” he shrugged and left.

‘Nines’ seemed to fix his eyes on the back of my head as he followed me back to the waiting room. Something about the RK900’s was so off putting… Maybe it was because they looked so much like Connor, but just not quite right. Before the android revolution, Cyberlife had begun to scale up production of the more ‘refined’ RK900 model to sell to city Police Departments. After the androids were set free, most RK900 models ended up working in Police Departments anyway, fulfilling their roles as investigative androids. They were well known for being ruthless and unforgiving detectives. I fought the urge to shiver.

As we approached the waiting room, I caught sight of a familiar face, “Connor!”

He rushed over to meet me, catching me in a quick hug before looking me up and down with concerned eyes, “Leah, I just heard about what happened at Jericho. Are you alright?”

I let out a breathy sigh, “I’m fine, but Markus is still recovering,” I paused, “does this have something to do with the other murders?”

He didn’t get a chance to reply before Nines interjected, “That’s none of your concern as a witness.”

Connor finally seemed to notice the other android, “and our conversation is none of your concern, ‘officer.’” He stepped in front of me, almost protectively. 

The two seemed to stare each other down for a moment before being interrupted by the arrival of Hank, returning from the break room with a cup of coffee.

“Hey Leah, you doin’ alright kid?” he wrapped one arm around my shoulders in a quick hug.

“I’m fine, Hank. How about you? Laying off the donuts I hope,” I smiled, lightheartedly patting the old man’s stomach.

He laughed then turned his attention to the two look alikes in front of him, “something wrong, you two?”

“No.” “Nothing at all.” They both replied simultaneously. 

“I was just escorting Ms Drake to her android to retrieve his memory from the moment of the crime,” Nines added.

“Well, Connor and I would be happy to follow along. After all, we are partners on this case now,” he smiled.

“Certainly,” Nines seemed to grit his teeth as we continued toward Adam.

What had I stumbled into?

...


	3. Rift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like a virus or the Spanish Inquisition, I return once again when least expected!  
> College, well, it's a lot to deal with, so I'm sorry this update took so long but it should be well worth it.  
> Enjoy :)

Wednesday, May 11, 2039  
1:21 PM  
Detroit Police Department

After retrieving Adam from the somewhat seedy waiting room, we were brought back to the evidence room where a young tech was seated at a computer. At the sight of Adam, she seemed suddenly startled for a moment before turning to Nines, then to Connor and Hank, as if wondering where to begin.

“I can transfer his data directly to your system if you can give me an access point,” I pushed my way forward, clutching Adam’s arm as I tugged him along. 

“I’m sorry, can I get a case number from somebody first?” she finally managed.

Connor and Nines seemed to send the information at the same time, pausing as their LEDs flickered blue.

“Alright, I’ll set up the access point for a memory transfer. Um, what kind of model are we looking at here?” she glances at Adam once more.

“Just act as if it were an RK900, his systems are slightly more advanced but there shouldn’t be any issue with the transfer.”

She nodded and returned to the computer, “alright, whenever you’re ready, it’s set up.”

“Adam, you know what to do. Visual and auditory data from when we entered the apartment until the authorities arrived.”

He didn’t reply but the tech’s screen confirmed the transfer.

“Ok, we can begin reviewing the raw footage whenever you’re ready,” one of the screens on the walls turned on.

“Go for it,” Hank nodded.

“Keep it in real-time,” Nines added.

A moment later, Adam was walking through Markus’s apartment. I tuned out most of the small talk and focused on the window behind Markus. Adam’s footage was crystal clear in resolution and in sound quality. The moment the window shattered I nearly jumped. At the time, it felt like I was moving in slow motion but seeing it again, everything happened so quickly. It was over before I knew it.

“Play it back slower, before the shot,” Hank was focused on the screen.

As the scene played out slower, I finally noticed what Hank wanted to see. Adam’s attention had shifted to the building across the way before he went to save Markus.

“Stop, zoom in right there,” he touched the screen and it obeyed. As high quality as Adam’s specs were, it was still difficult to make much out. But it was clear to see, there was a sniper. A humanoid sniper.

“Can we enhance it further? I know his resolution can be much higher than this,” I frowned.

“Um, let me see what I can do. That screen isn’t equipped for 8K or higher footage, but this screen can handle enhanced stills,” she took a slice of the footage from that instant and pulled it up on her monitor, crystal clear.

From what I could tell the person was covered head to toe in some sort of tactical gear. No identifying marks, at least from the shoulders up. There was also no way to tell if this was a human or an android. Unless…

“Adam, were you running thermal scans in the background at all?”

He paused a moment, “yes, I was actually. Give me a moment.”

As the computer received more data, the still was replaced with a red, green, yellow and blue thermal version. The readings from the other building wouldn’t be perfect, but it could at least give us a clue about the assailant. Underneath the heavy gear, some red heat peeked through.

“Markus was shot by a human,” Connor concluded.

“Unsurprising,” Nines added, “Can we get patrol drone activity from the area at that time, before and after?”

The tech tapped furiously, “no luck, the only one in that area was downed due to a faulty power cell.”

“How convenient,” Hank muttered, rubbing his chin and pacing the room.

“Forget the shooter for a moment, I want to get a look at the projectile,” I crossed my arms as the tech worked her magic. Nines raised an eyebrow at the request but didn’t speak. 

It resembled a mechanical spider now that I had a closer look at it. Four legs on each side sunk into Markus’s shoulder. In the middle was it’s ‘stinger’ plunging deeper into the biocomponents, emitting some kind of signal or code into his systems.

“So, why use this ‘bug’ to kill androids?” I pondered aloud, “a bullet would do just as well.”

“A bullet leaves most of the secondary and data storage systems intact on an android. If you want to kill an android and erase its complete memory, a device such as this would be the perfect tool,” Nines replied coolly.

I turned to Connor, “how many other victims are there matching this profile?”

He hesitated for a moment, “I’m not sure you want to know, Leah. You should stay away from the case after Markus is better.”

“How. many. androids?” I demanded.

“Twenty-two,” Nines replied, stepping closer, “only a half dozen have been reported on the news as murders.”

Connor and Hank stared at the android, surprised.

“They all died like this? Erased?” I gestured to the bug.

“In most cases, we couldn’t recover the device, but yes, they match the pattern.”

Why was he suddenly interested in telling me details about the case?

“You want me on the case,” I stated.

He nodded once, “I’ve assessed that your expertise could be particularly useful and increase the likelihood of success, especially if your prototype continues to accompany you and gather data,” he paused and took a look around the room, “I hope you all can understand, we’ve made more progress in an hour today than we have in the past three weeks on this case. We’ve recovered an intact device, we have three living witnesses, one of which was able to recover high-quality footage and thermal data of the assailant and we were able to pinpoint a possible sabotaged patrol drone. This is how we catch a killer.”

The room was dead silent as we all processed what he had said.

“I’m in,” I smiled.

…

Gavin gave me one of the broken bugs to analyze until the MIA one from Jericho made its way to the station. I was eager to get started, so as soon as the contracts were written up and signed, I was ready to head home and pick the device apart. Turns out Connor was ready to call it a day as well. This would be a fun drive home.

"Leah, I know I can't stop you from getting involved with this case, but just consider what kind of people we're dealing with here," Connor began as soon as the doors shut. 

I was driving manual so I didn't spare him a determined glare, "criminals? Murderers? Like you deal with on a daily basis?"

"This is different than vandalism, petty theft or cheating partners Hank and I deal with. This is serious. Our running theory is an organized group, and their goal seems pretty clear. This is dangerous territory, love."

That last bit made my grip on the wheel loosen slightly, I glanced over to him, "we've been through more dangerous territory together."

"And every second you were in danger was excruciating."

I let out a long breath, "I can't just sit aside and let this happen, Connor. They tried to kill Markus." Who knows which android I love could be next? I wanted to say, but I didn't let it come out.

"I know," he held his hand out, I gently placed mine on top of his, "just be careful," he squeezed it tightly for a moment before letting me return it to the wheel.

Focusing on the road and seeing the city rush by helped me clear my thoughts. The whole case appeared rather strange from start to finish. The victims seemed to have no commonalities. They were different models, different professions and all originated from different areas. Most were Detroit natives, but with the recent android migration to the city that started it all, it wasn’t uncommon to discover android from other states or even other countries. 

No wonder Gavin and Nines were desperate for leads… This made analyzing the bug all the more important.

When we got back home, I dove into my new task. Markus and Simon had left earlier after he had regained consciousness, but I would need to check in with him later. Much to my surprise, Adam remained with me in my workshop. I was grateful for the second opinion and the tech support he provided, as well as the company. Even if he was silent...

…  
Thursday, May 12, 2039  
12:39 AM

I was grateful androids had no need of sleep because I wasn’t stopping anytime soon. From what I could parse of the damaged bug, the device’s operating code and responses were fairly standard. It was the kill code virus I was most interested in, but that continued to elude me. The body of the bug seemed to be made up of some steel alloy mixed with a mercury compound. My leading theory was that it was some derivation of mercium, but I couldn’t begin to guess why that would be important. I felt like I was missing something.

As the clock ticked over to 1 AM, I sat back a moment and checked my feed, frustrated as my progress slowed. Some of the local newspapers had already gotten ahold of Markus’s attack yesterday and were spinning all sorts of conspiracies. Pictures from the scene made my pulse quicken with anxiety.

A particular headline made my stomach drop.

“Eccentric Android Mods or Terminator’s Vengeance? This Android Spotted In Downtown Detroit Is Causing a Stir On the Streets.”

The title below was almost worse.

“Anti-Android Groups Calling for Enforcement of the Android Act in the Wake of the Appearance of a New Model.”

The final nail in the coffin was a voicemail from Elijah.

“Our timeline has changed, meet me tomorrow morning at 8 am sharp in my home outside the city. Leave Adam behind this time.”

His tone was calm and cool but I couldn’t help but imagine his frustration behind the screen. Shit.

I rubbed my eyes for a second, suddenly feeling exhausted.

“I need to sleep,” I mumbled to Adam, shutting off my various screens and locking away the bug I was tinkering with.

He said nothing but followed me upstairs before I shut the lights off.

Amelia wasn’t in the living room, so I assumed she was working. Connor was sitting on the couch, eye glazed over as he presumably worked over the details of the case and mapped out scenarios.

I flopped on the seat next to him and buried my face in his chest.

“I fucked up,” I groaned.

Exiting his mind feed he wrapped an arm around me, “details, please.”

“Look at the news,” I rolled over, now laying across his legs.

After reading for a moment, he spoke, “oh, that...doesn’t look good.”

“I didn’t think it would be a big deal, bringing Adam around town for a day. Now Elijah has moved our meeting up to tomorrow and I don’t know what this means for my project, but it can’t be good,” I swallowed, feeling my throat tighten, the beginning of tears blurred my vision, “and Markus almost died, the police have next to nothing, and I have next to nothing from that stupid bug-”

And suddenly I was crying, gasping with uncontrollable sobs. Connor pulled me into a hug, letting me get tears and snot all over his clean shirt. When I had regained some control and felt a bit of relief, I pulled away and wiped my eyes.

“It’s late and you’re tired and stressed. Let me take you to bed and we can talk about it there, and then you can get some sleep,” he held a hand to my cheek and wiped away one stray tear.

I nodded and we walked upstairs to the bedroom and sat on my side, facing Connor. He pulled off the white button-up I soiled and picked out a comfy nightshirt and pajama pants. Both were entirely for my comfort.

“Sorry about that, I feel really silly,” I gave a half-laugh, “one little hiccup and suddenly I’m in pieces.”

Connor sat down and scooted closer to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and leaning back onto the pillows, “I wouldn’t call any of that a small hiccup. A coding error is a small hiccup. You’ve put months of work into Adam, the prospect that you might lose all that time and effort must be terrible. Not to mention what a traumatic experience watching a friend almost dying is. Solving the case isn’t all on you either.”

“I know, it just- I don’t know, now that this has become so personal,” I sighed, “I want to protect you too, Connor.”

"I'd like to imagine I don't need protection, that I can focus on keeping you safe, but you're right. It's amazing how many times a day I forget how fragile being alive is. So much of my programming is centered around making the best decision, even at the expense of myself. But when I remember you waiting for me at home, all that Cyberlife mission nonsense goes away. I suppose you’re protecting me already, in more ways than one.”

My mind went back to a memory of a Traci about to swing a wrench down on Connor. I didn’t let that happen. I wasn’t going to let this killer take him from me either.

"That's what a relationship is about, giving to the ones you love. Taking care of them, and they take care of you," I glanced at the clock. It was 2 am already.

“Shit, I have to meet Kamski in the morning at 8,” I groaned at the thought.

“Fuck Kamski, if he wants to talk he can come here, and at a more reasonable hour.”

“Eight o'Clock in the morning is entirely reasonable for normal people who don’t stay up crying all night, and I can’t ask him to come here-”

“Too late, I already sent him a strongly worded message about how terrible you feel following yesterday’s attack, how you can barely leave the house, and that he should be here at noon,” he smirked, pleased with himself. 

“You little deviant, come here,” I smiled and pulled him into a kiss before settling into bed for what little time remained of the night.


End file.
